I got to finally drink Shubat, camel's milk. Since it is not fermented like the horse's milk (see my earlier post), it's not as bitter, which made it infinitely easier to drink. However, it's still far from being something I would enjoy drinking. I went to get the Shubat with my future host family after a short trip to some natural mineral springs where we bathed. We got the Shubat from the side of a road where a local family kept camels. While we were stopped, three other camels slowly walked past our car and on down the road. As I watched their humps disappear over the hill on their way towards their home, their colorful bridles swayed in the awkward rhythm of their gait.

This post was culled from an email I wrote two years ago while living in Kazakhstan as a Peace Corps volunteer. The updates from Australia will continue in a day or two. Turkestan's mausoleum in spring time with roses in Kazakhstan Iíve just arrived in Turkestan, the city where Iíll spend the next two years as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English. Turkestan is an old city with more history than almost any other city in Kazakhstan. In addition, it is the "Mecca" of Kazakhstan, the site where observing Muslims go to on a pilgrimage. The central attraction is a mausoleum that stands on a large plot of land near the center of town. Despite its central location, the mausoleum is surrounded on one side by rolling hills of sand and green grass and rose bushes on the other. It's covered in pattern of gorgeous blue tiles, which looks stunning next to the white washed walls. The inside of the mausoleum is less impressive since there is no artwork, but the structure itself is ornate and beautiful. As I walkedCamel and the author in front of Turkestan's mausoleum in Kazakhstan around the building for the first time, I suddenly came face to face with a camel. It was the first of many that I would see over the next week.

Besides the mausoleum, many of the other buildings in Turkestan, including the school where Iíll teach, use a blue and white color motif, which reminds me of buildings in the Southern Mediterranean. In the streets, the air can be thick with dust and smoke (since everybody burns their trash in the streets) and the ground is either sandy or muddy depending on the weather of the night before.

Turkestan's mausoleum in Kazakhstan as seen from the wallI did get some cultural experiences under my belt during the first week in Turkestan along with my experiences in the classroom. First, I got to finally drink Shubat, camel's milk. Since it is not fermented like the horse's milk (see my earlier post), it's not as bitter, which made it infinitely easier to drink. However, it's still far from being something I would enjoy drinking. I went to get the Shubat with my future host family after a short trip to some natural mineral springs where we bathed. We got the Shubat from the side of a road where a local family kept camels. While we were stopped, three other camels slowly walked past our car and on down the road. As I watched their humps disappear over the hill on their way towards their home, their colorful bridles swayed in the awkward rhythm of their gait.

Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL InterviewPeace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

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Story Source: The Examiner

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